BACKGROUND

Kara's musical journey began in Virginia Beach, VA at the age of seven on classical piano. She started performing in local events and talent shows at the age of ten. When her younger brother, now a professional jazz pianist, Justin Kauflin, began taking violin lessons, she wanted to play too, beginning with the school orchestra. She worked her way into Suzuki Violin and classical piano lessons by obtaining apprenticeships for both her piano and violin teachers (Virginia Koun and Suzanne Schreck, respectively). 

She has played both instruments in a variety of roles, including Youth Symphony Orchestras as a high schooler, and later performing as an accompanist and/or pit orchestra player on both instruments for theater productions, churches, benefits, and weddings. Although she decided on a music minor at James Madison University, she always comes back to music as a way of expression, outlet and service to others by teaching her own children and serving in her community as an accompanist/music leader.

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Kara has a B.S. in Kinesiology and another minor in Special Education, in which she was hoping to incorporate all her studies (movement, music, special needs) into a future practice. Life blessed her with a husband and firstborn child during graduate school at University of Virginia and she became a full time Mom instead. She has a background teaching Special Education (ABA Therapy) with Loudoun County Public Schools and directing programs for The Little Gym in Northern Virginia. Currently, she volunteers in a variety of roles in her children's schools and classrooms, church, baseball fields and non profit organizations.

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When Kara's not running her household of six and two pets, she likes hiking, yoga, working out, drawing, photography, dabbling in other instruments, songwriting and music production, reading and learning other languages.

She almost always would rather be at the beach.